How can I become the Pirate King if you don’t work hard?.

Chapter 297 You are the challenger!
"Do not make jokes!"

Cavendish roared.

He was almost completely out of control.

It's one thing to be inferior to Gawain, since from any perspective, he has no chance of defeating that guy.

I could barely accept losing to Gawain’s second-in-command, Baiji Keluo, since it wasn’t me who ran away, but that guy Baima. The shame was on him, not me!

But if I can't even defeat this man who appeared out of nowhere, then my reputation...

While thinking.

A strong sense of crisis rushed into Cavendish's mind, sending chills down his spine while also calming his thoughts.

Cavendish looked up.

Ah Jin stood calmly on the deck, looking down at him with his eyes lowered. At the same time, the skeleton on Ah Jin's shoulders extended and intertwined, forming a giant cannon!
hiss--!
With a piercing screech, a large amount of air was drawn into Akin's mouth and instantly forced into the cannon barrel on his shoulder, transforming into pure power!
"Bone Cannon!"

A Jin roared, and a pure white beam of light shot out from the cannon on his shoulder. The powerful recoil caused the Lionheart Knight to sink slightly.

Immediately, the cannonball, enveloped in Armament Haki, shot out and hurtled towards Cavendish. The latter didn't even have time to react before being hit.

boom!
boom!
boom!
Cavendish broke a series of giant trees.

Dust and smoke billowed like dragons, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Cavendish's consciousness became blurred at this moment.

Normally, at this point, White Horse would have taken over the body immediately, but this time he didn't react at all until Cavendish completely collapsed.

Because of the approaching figure of Crow, who had also been tracking them, he glanced at the unconscious Cavendish in the distance and felt a moment of dejection:

"You beat me to it?!"

"Tough luck."

Akin slowly shed his skeletal frame, glanced at Kro, and roughly guessed what had happened:

"This guy has some skill, but he's not qualified to be our opponent."

"At least a Shichibukai or an elite vice admiral from the Navy is needed to get people excited."

“How to deal with it?!”

After a moment of contemplation, Kro said:

"This guy is Cavendish of the Magnificent Pirates. It looks like he's been staying here all along, trying to make a name for himself by stepping on Gawain's shoulders."

"Spare his life for now and see how Gawain handles it."

"His pirate crew should be in this area. I'll take a few men and go there to crush them!"

……

at the same time.

Naval Headquarters, Marinevando.

This place is not far from the Sabaody Archipelago, less than 100 nautical miles away.

This is why, although the Sabaody Archipelago is a gathering place for pirates from all walks of life who want to enter the New World via Fish-Man Island, very few dare to cause trouble near the Sabaody Archipelago.

But there are always exceptions.

At this moment, Zhan Guo sat in his office with a furrowed brow.

"Gawain and his gang are causing trouble in the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"Yes, Marshal Warring States!"

A slightly uneasy voice came from the Den Den Mushi receiver on the table.

"Knight Gawain is fighting Hawkeye Mihawk. The area near Forest 013 has been incorporated into the battlefield, and some parts of the forest have even sunk."

“I worry that if this continues, it may eventually escalate into a battle that affects the entire Sabaody Archipelago.”

"As you know, some Celestial Dragons might secretly come here to participate in some shady auctions. If something really goes wrong..."

"okay!"

Sengoku interrupted the other person:
"I'll send reinforcements immediately to ensure the impact is kept within acceptable limits!"

"Yes!"

hang up the phone.

Sengoku couldn't help but rub his temples; his face was visibly haggard.

He took a deep breath and summoned Kizaru, who had previously fought Kaido in the New World and was now recuperating in Marineford.

The latter, with bandages wrapped around his hand, still maintained his carefree and nonchalant demeanor.
"I'm still recovering from my injuries, Lord Sengoku!"

"That's enough. There's a time and place for slacking off."

"Given your constitution, such a minor injury shouldn't require three or four months of rest."

Sengoku glanced at him, seeing only a fair and ruddy complexion and a vibrant spirit. Then he looked at the bandages wrapped around Kizaru's hand and became even angrier:
"Besides, how could the naval headquarters doctors apply bandages so roughly? You must have done it yourself!"

“ko~wa~i~ne~”

Kizaru remained completely unfazed:

"I stood up against a monster like Kaido in the New World for the sake of justice, and yet my comrades say things like that to me. Another day I want to retire~"

"I really envy Kuzan; he can take a vacation without any problems!"

Sengoku's lips twitched, but he was also somewhat helpless.

Not only Zephyr and Aokiji, but even Kizaru changed after meeting Knight Gawain in Alabasta.

Although not as intense as Zephyr and Aokiji's actions, it had a subtle, pervasive quality, making it even more enigmatic.

The Warring States period did not know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

But now.

After being suspended by the Five Elders, Aokiji resolutely chose to follow Zephyr to the G5 branch.

Akainu, devastated by the death of his best friend before his eyes, is secretly plotting something.

Kizaru is the only member of the Marine Headquarters besides Sengoku and Garp who can keep things in check.

"Knight Gawain and Hawkeye clashed in the Sabaody Archipelago, causing panic in the area. I need you to stop their fight before things escalate further."

"After all, you know that both Knight Gawain and Hawkeye already possess combat power equivalent to the Four Emperors."

"Once these two fully reveal their true colors, they could even destroy the entire Sabaody Archipelago!"

Kizaru dropped his nonchalant expression.

He raised his hand to adjust his glasses, his voice unusually serious:

"I understand, Lord Sengoku."

A few minutes later.

Kizaru's warships sailed out of Marineford's port and gradually accelerated, speeding towards the Sabaody Archipelago.

on the deck.

Sentomaru stood shoulder to shoulder with Kizaru, looking at the silent Kizaru, and couldn't help but ask:
"Uncle, what kind of person is Gawain, the knight you've mentioned so many times?"

"That guy is clearly a pirate, but in your words, he's a special existence."

"How would you rate it..."

Kizaru raised his hand to stroke his chin, unsure of where to begin. After a long pause, he finally found a suitable word to describe it:
"It's probably considered unorthodox!"

"But those words and those thoughts transcend this era, offering a different perspective on the true nature of the world."

"That guy may not pose much of a threat to the Navy, but to the World Government, he is undoubtedly an evil that is equal to, no, perhaps even more dangerous than Roger."

Sentomaru paused slightly, then gripped his battle axe, his eyes resolute.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but that guy is different from other pirates because he can gain Uncle's approval. He might even become Mr. Vegapunk's friend."

"Humph~"

A slight smile appeared on Kizaru's lips:
"It's hard for me to explain those kinds of things."

"However, our mission here is to stop those two from fighting, or at least to keep the impact within an acceptable range!"

Sentomaru nodded emphatically:
"Hmm!" the two replied during their conversation.

The sea breeze gradually picked up, and the warship began to accelerate, cutting through the waves and speeding towards the Sabaody Archipelago.

soon.

The Sabaody Archipelago, formed by the intertwined roots and trunks of the endless forest, appeared before the naval group.

What they saw even earlier than the Sabaody Archipelago was a series of slashing attacks shooting out from one corner of the island, and two terrifying auras.

"This feeling...is it real?!"

Sentaomaru felt the two extremely powerful auras and subconsciously gripped the battle axe behind him, cold sweat already beading on his forehead.
"The last time I felt this way was when Mr. Sakazuki and Mr. Kuzan were arguing so fiercely that they were about to come to blows!"

"What kind of monsters are these two fighting?"

He boasted that his defense was the best in the world, which, while somewhat boastful, also reflected his absolute self-confidence.

But just feeling the aftershocks of their battle was enough to make his hair stand on end. If he were to actually fight them, he probably wouldn't last even a moment.

Thinking of this, Sentomaru couldn't help but feel a little worried about Kizaru beside him:

"This is no joke, Uncle, can you manage all by yourself?!"

Kizaru gazed intently into the distance:

"It seems we've come at the wrong time."

Sentomaru was puzzled:
"What's the meaning?!"

"The battle is about to be decided, I'm going to take a look."

The sound fell to the ground.

Kizaru leaped into the air, transforming into a golden light and disappearing into the horizon.

Seeing this, Sentomaru quickly ordered the warships to accelerate in order to land as soon as possible and take control of the situation in the Sabaody Archipelago.

……

After counting the breaths.

Near Forest No. 013.

boom!
A beam of golden light landed, igniting a burst of crimson flames.

Kizaru slowly emerged from the flames, and the pirates around him who recognized him turned and fled without hesitation.

Only Rayleigh remained calmly standing in the corner, even reaching into his pocket to take out his metal flask and taking a few sips of strong liquor.

Kizaru ignored the fleeing pirates, and even temporarily set aside Gawain and Mihawk, who were still engaged in fierce battle. His attention was completely focused on Rayleigh.

"Pluto Rayleigh..."

"Such an important figure is hiding right under the Navy's nose?!"

"Oh~"

Rayleigh's lips curled slightly, his face showing no fear, only the composure befitting Hades:

"I'm just a useless old man."

"You got the wrong person."

"Yeah……"

Kizaru gave a nonchalant reply.

It's no secret to the Navy that Pluto is hiding in the Sabaody Archipelago.

Firstly, the Roger Pirates had disbanded. Although Rayleigh was still on the bounty list, he had ultimately chosen to retire, and his threat to the World Government was not as great as it used to be.

Secondly, Rayleigh's strength is enough to rival that of a Marine Admiral. To capture him, at least an Admiral would need to lead the team personally, and there would be no chance of success without suffering countless casualties.

In contrast, turning a blind eye and letting it live out its days here, maintaining a tacit understanding between the two sides, is the least costly and most in line with the interests of the navy.

Kizaru had no intention of fighting Rayleigh here. He raised his hand, adjusted his glasses, and resumed his usual lazy demeanor.

"Perhaps I misread it."

"but--!"

Just as Kizaru was about to continue, another roar erupted from the distant battlefield!
Zizzi——!
Kakakaka——!
The crimson lightning snake danced wildly in mid-air, unleashing wave after wave of impacts in all directions, causing the earth to tremble!

Two black swords clashed repeatedly in mid-air, disrupting the anime's weather patterns!
The fierce winds ravaged the land, and the towering trees all around had long been flattened!

Even Kizaru fell silent upon witnessing this scene:

"This guy... has he grown to this level? From Alabasta to now, it's only been less than half a year, and he's already..."

Having heard that Gawain defeated Shiki in Water 7, Kizaru didn't quite grasp the reality of it.

After all, in his memory, the Golden Lion was still that old man with broken legs, old head wounds, and who was already quite old.

Their combat strength is far from their peak.

Losing to Gao Wen was somewhat unexpected, but also reasonable.

But now it seems that the battle may not have been so simple.

Kizaru didn't know how strong Gawain was, but he knew how strong Hawkeye was.

Even if this man were alone, he would be considered on par with the Four Emperors in the Navy's internal danger assessment mechanism.

For comparison, there was a legendary pirate from the previous era who single-handedly rivaled Whitebeard and Roger—

Lone Red - Redfield!
A domineering aura that reaches the pinnacle, and top-notch swordsmanship.

In addition, there's Observation Haki, which is considered a miracle even in the history of the World Government, allowing him to directly read his opponent's memories.

What was created was an almost invincible monster!

Although this man was eventually captured, he did not do so as a loser. Instead, after defeating the then Fleet Admiral Kong, he was defeated by Garp due to exhaustion.

Such a record is something that even legendary figures like Whitebeard and Shiki might not have been able to achieve.

Hawkeye's combat power may not be as great as Redfield's, but the Navy's attention to him is enough to prove Hawkeye's power.

At this moment, the one who has the advantage on the battlefield is not Hawkeye but Gawain. The latter did not even use the Red Dragon Fruit, but suppressed Hawkeye by relying solely on his swordsmanship, Haki, and physique!

"Surprised?!"

Rayleigh couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"I was surprised too."

“Even in our time, no, in Roger’s time, there was never such a monster.”

"Neither Whitebeard, Golden Lion, nor Redfield or Lockes reached this level at this age."

"This era gave birth to him!"

"Our past peaks and glories were just the beginning for him."

Rayleigh's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

The battle on the field was gradually reaching its climax!

when!
when!
when!
As the battle intensified, Hawkeye's gaze became increasingly sharp.

His tiger's mouth was already cracked from the impact, and blood stained the hilt of the knife red, but the knife became even more uneasy!
"Gawain!"

Hawkeye roared.

He looks forward to the day when someone challenges or even defeats him.

But when that day was really approaching, or even about to arrive, he realized how unwilling he was to accept it!
No one is willing to be second best, especially someone who was once at the top!

"Eagle Wave!"

With a horizontal slash, the emerald light, like a ray of light, cut off everything it touched, all the way to the end of the line of sight!
A tall tower standing in the dense forest was cut in half by Eagle Eye, and his fighting spirit almost surged at that moment!
"Mihawk!"

Gawain raised his hand and swung his sword, shattering Hawkeye's incoming slash.

He stood high above, his golden hair dancing wildly in the wind, exuding an extremely ferocious aura!

"Now!"

"You are the challenger!"

(End of this chapter)